Live Nation's Arthur Fogel says that 80 percent of tickets in North America and Europe have been sold and there will be additional dates for the tour that is set to open in May.
- Mar 7, 2014
AceShowbiz - Live Nations has responded to reports suggesting that it has lost over $30 million due to the poor ticket sales of Lady GaGa's "artRave: the ARTPOP Ball" tour. Arthur Fogel, Chairman of Live Nation's Global Touring division, laughs off the reports and calls them "ridiculous."
He explains to Billboard that although the tour won't open until May, 80 percent of tickets in North America and Europe have been sold. Additionally, the 29 shows that are on sale in North America have already grossed $26 million in ticket sales.
"The run with GaGa over the last two tours has been incredibly successful, and this one is shaping up no differently," Fogel says. He then reveals that the Mother Monster will even play six additional North American shows and add more dates for the U.K. leg of the tour.
Fogel also addresses specific reports that the tickets for the star's Milwaukee show are not selling well, saying, "When something like Milwaukee specifically comes up, that show has sold 14,264 tickets, the gross is $961,000, and it's at the end of June. I just don't know how this s**t gets any traction without people doing their homework."
Of Live Nation losing the large sum of money, he says, "Just a complete fool would say something like that and it could only come from somebody who has an agenda, because it makes absolutely no sense, on any level."
